Sir Des Champs earns Ireland's 13th win at Cheltenham

Sir Des Champs put up an unbelievable performance to pluck the Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle from out of the clouds.

Sent off the 9-2 favourite, the five-year-old was in the rear throughout under trainer Willie Mullins’ nephew, Emmet Mullins.

His chance appeared to have evaporated when he was caught up in a melee at the top of the hill but his young jockey did not panic.

Donald McCain’s Son Of Flicka, meanwhile, had taken over at the head of affairs and a good jump at the last appeared to have sealed it.

But Sir Des Champs made relentless progress and eventually got up to win by half a length.

First Point was third, with Indian Daudaie fourth.